Uvaria

Uvaria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Annonaceae. The generic name uvaria is derived from the Latin uva meaning grape, likely because the edible fruit of some species in the genus resemble grapes.

Circumscription

Species are distributed throughout the Old World tropics.^[2] This large genus had about 150 species,^[2] but recent molecular analyses have revealed that several smaller genera belong within Uvaria, increasing its size.^[3]

These are climbing shrubs or small trees. The flowers are borne singly, in pairs, or in small clusters. There are six petals in two whorls and many stamens.^[2]

Selected species

Uvaria grandiflora in Singapore

Uvaria ovata, native to West Africa.

There are 168 accepted Uvaria species, as of April 2021, according to Plants of the World Online.^[4]

• Uvaria chamae P.Beauv. – Finger-root, China
• Uvaria dulcis Dunal - Tropical Asia (E. Indonesia, Jawa, Mainland Southeast Asia)
• Uvaria grandiflora Roxb. ex Hornem. - Indochina, Malesia
• Uvaria kweichowensis P.T.Li - Tropical Africa
• Uvaria narum (Dunal) Wall. - Indian subcontinent
• Uvaria rufa (Dunal) Blume; Susung-kalabaw, Australia to Philippines & Indochina
• Uvaria zeylanica L. - type species - India, Sri Lanka

Formerly placed here

• Kadsura japonica (L.) Dunal (as U. japonica L.)
• Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook.f. & Thomson (as U. odorata Lam.)
• Oxandra lanceolata (Sw.) Baill. (as U. lanceolata Sw.)
• Huberantha cerasoides (Roxb.) Bedd. (as U. cerasoides Roxb.)
• Monoon longifolium (Sonn.) Thwaites (as U. longifolia Sonn.)
• Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (as U. aromatica Lam.)^[5][6]

References